Drains, such those for kitchen sinks, tubs and showers, clog due to collection of particles suspended in the waste water flow, such as hair. Soap, grease, and skin oils bond small particles such as hair, minerals and food particles to clog pipes. At some point in time in the history of the usage of the drain, one or another of harsh and/or toxic chemicals, or the use of a rotary router are necessarily administered by such as a licensed plumber to clear the impediments to free the flow of the waste water. Alternatively, as the impediments to free flow build, there is an additional development of unsanitary conditions, as soap scum, dirt and related products of bathing and/or kitchen grease being trapped in the drains by the collection of debris because of the inherent reduction of water flow due to the conventional filtering and screening apparatus. Soap scum is the hard, scaly build-up in drains due to the soap reacting with minerals in the water. Most existing drains either provide no restriction of usual sloughed waste, allowing build-up to occur in the interstices of the building plumbing, or require complicated, and thus time consuming, requiring professional emptying or clearing. This invention addresses the issue of scum build-up due to soap and other oils. The drain cleaning procedure is uncomplicated and simple, without the use of acid and/or base chemical cleaners which can be toxic.
There have been numerous attempts at producing a suitable drain, however inadequacies exist including restriction of the flow of drain water through the use of smaller apertures in filters, screens and the like. Inevitably, soap scum builds up to become an accelerator of clogging due to its being captured and acting as a coagulant around the hair and other collected debris. Several of these unsuccessful products are represented by several of the many patents and publications which have issued over a considerable span of years. Among these are U.S. Pat. No. 6,263,518 to Magtanong which discloses a strainer 20, of sorts which has an upper closed end which forces water exiting a shower base through a drain plate 70 to flow around the strainer, diverted into a lateral or spiral pattern by protuberances 120 which also are said to capture hair and other particles and caused to drop down into a collection area 100 formed by a peripheral ridge 90 sealed against drain pipe 10. The suction effect described of the water flowing through orifices 130 purportedly will further assist the flow of the particles and hair through the apertures, leaving the same problem of restricted high volumes of water to flow quickly and effectively through the drain.
U.S. patent to Peterson, et al illustrates a drain plug assembly acting as a stopper as well as a strainer to capture debris which might otherwise cause clogging of the drain. The strainer is a basket-like cylindrical container with a closed bottom (other than the hole to accommodate mounting on a boss 20. The drain water is forced to flow outwardly through slots in the vertical wall of the basket 30 and downwardly adjacent the drain wall. The slots are said to also serve to capture the particles and hair in the waste flow, which inevitably will cause constriction of the flow and need for frequent cleaning, if the slots act as described. By placing the slots laterally, essentially creating apertures on the sidewalls, the original issue of tying the aperture size to the size of particle restricted still exists since these two elements continue to remain in direct proportion to each other. The present invention provides unrestricted flow of the waste water into and through the drain and provides adequate retention space for long-term operation. The present invention also deposits all particles into the basket before allowing waste flowing out of the sides, thereby overcoming this proportionally restrictive element in all existing drain strainer designs.
U.S. Pat. No. RE. 31,561 to Thompson illustrates a simple, large strainer basket disposed intermediate the drain plate and the drain. The invention is directed to the structural features of the basket and its mounting and does not disclose any features for improving the drain flow. Specifically, the present invention is directed to the capturing of the small particles without restricting the flow of liquid by staying independent of the aperture size along the sidewalls, prevents clogging.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,289 to Robbins is directed to a disposable sink (kitchen) strainer. The strainer is used in conjunction with the standard basket to collect garbage and the like and to be disposed of when filled.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,859,452 to Seewack is directed to an improvement in shower drain construction. It illustrates a drain and sub-drain combination for connecting the shower plate portion of the drain to the main drain, including a secure combination of corrosion resistant materials. There is no illustration of features to improve the capture of potentially harmful waste products from bathing.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,505,305 and 2,498,502 to Schafer and O'Brien, respectively, are directed to large basket strainers for sinks, adapted to collect food debris and other refuse during sink use. The baskets are easily removed for dumping to a garbage disposal or other refuse container. Again, in both of these inventions, the apertures placement along the lateral sidewall still makes the restriction of smaller particles dependant on the aperture size which would restrict liquid flow. The lateral or horizontal placement does not eliminate this dependency, which is addressed by the present invention. Also, neither invention is adaptable for such as shower use or for large capacity drainage purposes, wherein the strainer is installed for longer term and high capacity use.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,191,686 to Shenk is directed to a sink or shower drain wherein an annular slot is provided intermediate the strainer basket and the drain pipe such that on filling and resultant clogging, the waste water unable to flow through the basket is permitted to escape through the annular opening, directly to the drain, thereby avoiding an overflow or flooding situation. As with the previously discussed drain structures, there is no analogous structure to the present invention to provide continued effective collection of debris, soap scum and hair while maintaining full flow of the waste water through the drain.
The present invention overcomes several shortcomings of these prior art drain devices, as will be further evident from the succeeding description.